Throwback Thursday ~ January 2, 2020

It felt strange to type 2020 for this post but I suspect it’ll get easier as we write our ‘best-seller’ this year. The past reflection through images as well as thoughts about last year brought this photo up and one of those that is aw-worthy in integrating Elsa into the family pack. Taken just a couple months after she was adopted and after several trips to the vet before we managed to get control of her seizures, it’s apparent she loved her brother almost as much as she loved stuffed toys. Knowing that her first few years were devoid of love and toys, I’ve always been touched by this scene.

Sam & Elsa

My heart is full of gratitude when I see Sam acquiesce the dog bed in the studio to his recovering sister and comfortable enough to let her lay close to him. Seeing scenes like this sets the stage for focusing on the more ‘pawsitive’ moments that will happen this year.

We hope you safely survived any New Year’s celebrations and the many of the college football bowls (is it me or are there far too many?). How ’bout that Rose Bowl game? Congrats to the Oregon Ducks on the comeback win.

Live, love, bark! 🐾

91 thoughts on “Throwback Thursday ~ January 2, 2020

  1. That is such a sweet photo! Facebook just gave me one of those memory post suggestions, and it was Luke as a puppy with our senior beagle Kobi’s head resting on him. Kobi had taken the longest to adjust to having a youngster in the house, so it was a very happy scene!

  2. Pawsitively heartwarming pic💜 HuMom always gets emotional when either Q & I show any commitment to one another.
    When Q came to stay with us at first she had been a neighbor who lived on a chain outside in all weather 24/7 & ate mostly garbage. She was still strong & dominate but we learned to live together once HuMom made the decision to never let her go back to that.
    Now she is very old, quite blind & not as strong but still dominate. I let her think she’s still the toughie she thinks she is & make room for her when she is on the move with her little old legs.
    That’s what fursiblings do 🐾💜🐾

    1. Aww, bless you Olivia-your sistership is admirable. Elsa sounds a bit like Q temperament wise. After living in a cage for years, she deserves some space. 😉

  3. I LOOOOOVES THE PARADE! The Rose Parade is the only parade Ma watches, butts she missed the diving doggies this year!!!! sigh. Anyhu, I loves that pic, and I hopes you guys have the bestest 2020 any family can have! YOu deserve it my furiends!!!
    Ruby ♥

    1. Thanks Ruby…we hope 2020 is the ‘bestest’ for you and your sweet mama. Truth be told I missed the parade for the most part. When I turned it on it was at the start of a long commercial and I growled and turned it off. The floats are so beautiful but not the commercials.

  4. Sweet pic. Rose Bowl is one I try not to miss … but this year, I missed it as we were invited to a small dinner party. Good socialization – but missed the game.

    1. Sam continues to underscore his sweetness every day.

      Didn’t see much of it either (commercials are killing sports in general) but what a comeback. Ducks were down with 4 minutes left and came back to win it. Now that’s a game! Unlike some of other bowl games with dubious names (like the recent Cheez-It Bowl where Air Force at 10-2 squared off against 6-6 Washington State).

        1. Not to dismiss those teams that had a winning record, but it diminishes the whole bowl system, especially with 40 games. If all those commercials didn’t kill the game, the NCAA sure does by this shameless money grab.

          1. Bowls are about sponsorships & the cities that host get some revenue – and ESPN makes the dollars via advertising. Personally, I don’t think the NCAA is involved that much. In some of the bowls, the team’s expenses exceed their participation dollars. But, the schools get exposure and the players get a reward. BTW – Bearcats romped.

  5. Aw, I love that photo!! So sweet! Reminds me of Ducky staying close to Shadow those last few weeks of her life. And her almost instantaneous acceptance of Radar. Our NYE was quiet – we went out for an early dinner and then spent the rest of the night at home with Ducky watching MASH episodes and a movie.

    1. Sounds like a wonderful way to spend the holiday. Those kinds of photos always warm the heart, don’t they? Happy 2020, Sue. Ear rubs for sweet Ducky.

    1. We’re going to make an extra special point on focusing on all those precious moments this year.

    1. It really is a sweet photo. He for being such a loving brother and her for seeking him out.

          1. My kids got along super well when they were little, then they hit the adolescent years and OOOh my mind was going to go insane! But now they are older its a lot better. 🙂

            1. Same with mine. Funny how adolescents make life ‘interesting’ for everyone in the family. Thank goodness they grow out of those years!

  6. Great picture. Yes she did have a shaky start but I am so glad to see how she has settled down. I know it didn’t come easy. As for Sam, well, he’s just being Sam, the thoughtful, kind and concerned brother. Don’t understand the “Bowl” thing :o)

    1. Sam is a real sweetheart. I’m not sure Elsa would have come as far as she has without his calming presence.

      Trust me, John…I don’t understand the Bowl thing either. Teams with 6-6 record got in and made money for their schools. What kind of system rewards teams with mediocre records like that? Oh wait, that’d be the NCAA. Happy to line their pockets but won’t allow players to market themselves individually with product endorsements, etc. *sigh*

    1. It sure does.

      With 80 bowl slots to fill, the whole bowl system is too diluted to enjoy anymore. Who wants to watch a team with a 6-6 record in a bowl game?

        1. Not to worry your pretty little head, it’s all meaningless in the scheme of things. 😊

  7. Poodles are such sweet and loyal creatures when given a chance.

    I agree about the college bowl games and then I read how much money is involved in even the most obscure bowl games. I’m all for making money if it is legal and moral and it doesn’t cost me anything.

    1. Getting into a bowl game with a 6-6 record seems all kinds of wrong to me.

      Elsa has come a long way, due in great part to the sweetest Knucklehead I know.

    1. She’s a work in progress but has come along quite a ways. Such a sweet girl who had a bad start.

    1. Thanks; it definitely touched my heart. Guess I need to go back through the old photos more often. 😇

    1. It really is, even if she’s a puppy mill survivor. I credit her progress to Sam who has taught her how to be a dog.

      1. We adopted a dog born blind about 4 years ago. His original person perished and relatives brought this lovely lab to the vet to be euthanized. Vet said no thankfully. He’s an amazing dog, but he had calluses on all his legs, covered fleas, had lyme disease, and had clearly had a life of unrelenting boredom. Never used his nose (a lab!!), and got sooooo overstimulated when we took him anywhere. Had no training at all. It took us about a year to teach him to be a dog, but he is the best one and we love him to the moon and back. He has mastered leash walking, done nose work classes, and so much else. The death of his first person may have been the best thing that ever happened to him.

        1. Holy cow…I think you’re right on his first owner’s passing being a blessing. What a triumph to overcome. Special needs dogs seem to have to jump higher than regular ones. Ear rubs for your sniffing Lab pup from me and Elsa.

  8. I loved this. The picture tells the story, just being close is security and comfort. Able to sleep peacefully and belong. I liked your retelling of the story for us too. How touching, and Elsa did recover didn’t she? Finally safe and now happy enough to steal sweet potatoes and torment brother. this is a great start to the year. LeeAnna

    1. Her beginning was fraught with lots of issues. She was basically feral but with her brother teaching her how to be a dog, she’s come a long way.

    1. He puts up with a lot of things from his sister (like most brothers) but really has taught her life can be good and to forget those puppy mill days.

  9. This is so beautiful, Monika. That you adopted Elsa with her issues is already a huge thing. That Sam, with his innate understanding was right there with you in welcoming her and making her feel safe gives me the goosebumps.

    I love your fur-family…

    1. He’s the real champ here. So sweet and patient and a rock star on how to be a dog. I’m so blessed with this fur-mily.

        1. I am extremely blessed to have found both of them and they definitely make me a better person. My goal is always to be more of the person they think I am. 😇

            1. I like to think there are some days I can be proud of, then again, there are those days when I’m merely human.

  10. What a lovely lady and how dynamic a duo these two are.

    As for bowl games, there seems to be a bowl for every college football team. Who did Oregon play? Wisconsin? I have only caught part of two games- the second half of the Clemson win and the fourth quarter of the Georgia win last night.

    Imma call for an Elsa and Sam Bowl. Best dang bowl game going.

    1. If only Elsa and Sam had the financial resources to sponsor a bowl. I heard it’s anywhere from $300K up. Yes, Oregon played Wisconsin and were down with 4 minutes left in the 4th. That QB is an offensive force. Fourth loss by Wisconsin in the last 10 years. I don’t mind the Rose Bowl, Sugar, Orange, bowls like that but puleez…the Cheese-It Bowl (which Air Force won BTW). Every corporation wants to sponsor a bowl game and there are so many there are far too many 6-6 teams playing in something that should be a bit more special than that kind of record. Call me old fashioned but showing up shouldn’t be a reason to be rewarded. Sorry, a #getoffmylawn moment. 🤣

      1. I totally agree. And if the buy in is as low as 300 K, I can see why companies do it.

        TOO many bowl games. I’m with you in wanting to keep the classics. But who CARES about a 6-6 team? And the NCAA is so full of it with their “student athlete” nonsense. What good is it for the overwhelming majority of teams to take the couple weeks off from school?

        As for Herbert, the Fins have been rumored to be interested in him as well.

        1. I just looked it up, There are some 80 slots to fill on bowl games. WTH??

          The Fish would be lucky to pick him up. He was named the offensive player of the game. At 6’6″ 237 lbs. with over 3400 yards, 32 TDs this season alone, he’ll be an asset to any team as a nice tight end or other receiving target.

          1. That is insanity. How long until they let 5 win teams go? And then 4 win teams? And then . . .

            He’s had a sneaky great season that nobody is paying attention to. At least not in the same vein as Burrow and Tua. My thing is, Miami needs so much. If they can get Herbert mid first round, what a coup.

            1. As I recall, I think there were 3 teams with a 5-7 record ‘eligible’ for an invite (but don’t know if any made it). It’s stupidly insane and once again demonstrates what the NCAA is all about. Just making buckets of money off player exploitation. 40 bowl games dilute the whole bowl game system and underscore the absurdity that surrounds the so-called national championship game.

              Miami could definitely benefit from a Herbert drafting. 🤞🏼

              1. I thought a team had to have at least six wins. Wow. WHO would travel to watch a 5-7 team is my question LOL.

                I am kind of excited to see if that’s the way Miami goes now.

                    1. You’re right, makes no sense even for an alum. Sounds like some peeps have too much gravy in the bank. And they must be bored out of their skulls to ‘require’ that kind of stimulation.

                    2. I would respect any AD/coach who said . . “Yanno, we had a shit season and we gratefully decline our bowl invite,”

                      It will never happen, but it should.

                    3. I mean . . I’m sure there are players who actually abide by the ‘student athlete’ thing who would really appreciate not having to take a couple weeks off for a game that means absolutely nothing.

Woof any thoughts...but no growling, please.
